Ravens undrafted rookie made ‘dream come true’ as a Maryland native

Frist-year safety Beau Brade has played at every level for a team in his home state which will continue after making the initial 53-man roster.

Most kids who grew up playing football in Maryland for the last quarter century rooted for the Baltimore Ravens, idolized the players and dreamt of someday making it to the league and playing for the team. Undrafted rookie safety Beau Brade was no different.

“It was a dream,” Brade said Friday. “Every kid around here, if you were a Ravens fan, you dreamed to be on the Ravens. I grew up watching Ray Lewis [and] Ed Reed. I was watching the Super Bowl [in 2012]. I was born in 2002, so after 2009 to now, I’ve just been watching the Ravens; I’ve been a fan of them. It’s been a dream. When I used to play Madden, I used to put myself at running back, so it was my dream to play running back. I dreamed of it, but couldn’t really imagine it.”

Born and raised in Clarksville where he starred at the prep level for River Hill High School which is less than half an hour from M&T Bank Stadium, Brade is a Marylander through and through as he went on to play at the University of Maryland College Park for the Terrapins.

His lifelong dream of getting to play for his favorite NFL team came to fruition when he signed as a rookie free agent after surprisingly not getting his name called during the 2024 NFL Draft despite having mid-round grades from numerous pundits. Brade initially dealt with an injury when he first arrived to the team but once he got healthy, he was able to parlay strong training camp and preseason performances into securing a well-earned spot on the 53-man roster.

“This has been amazing – an amazing experience,” Brade said. “It’s been better than I could have ever expected, and [it’s] just a dream come true, so I’ve got to make the most of it.”

Over the course of the preseason, Brade was one of the Ravens’ most consistent and disruptive defenders and made his presence felt on special teams as well—a phase of the game where he’ll predominantly play as a rookie barring injury or late-game blowout wins. He twice led the team in total tackles, finishing with 19 including two for a loss many of which were touchdown-saving takedowns in the open field as the last line of defense. He nearly had a diving interception in his second exhibition game, covered kicks and punts well in all three and even forced a fumble that was nearly recovered by a teammate in bounds.

The person who informed him that he had made the team, marking the 20th time in the last 21 years that at least one undrafted rookie was carried on the initial 53-man roster, was none other than general manager Eric DeCosta himself.

“It was during practice – our practice after the Green Bay game,” Brade said. “Eric came up to me, and he was like, ‘You had a pretty good preseason.’ And I was like, ‘Yes sir, thank you. I’m still a bit nervous – I haven’t made the team yet.’ And then he just broke the news [to me]. He was like, ‘Congratulations, you made the 53-man roster.’ I thanked him [and said,] ‘I appreciate it.’ Then, I gave him a hug, and of course when I got home, I had to tell the parents. That was a great experience – they started crying, but that was a nice experience.”

When asked about what went into the decision to keep Brade on the 53-man roster, DeCosta said he “just really earned it.” The lopsided preseason finale loss to the Green Bay Packers which he admittedly called a “joke” for the most part is what cemented his final standing in the eyes of the coaching staff and front office.

“The reality is, Beau actually just played great, and he did it consistently,” DeCosta said Thursday. “He won the job. He took the job. And in the end, he deserved being on the team, and that’s what it was all about.”

Brade came into training camp with the right mindset with the hope of making the team but without any high expectations that it would come to pass.

“I might make it; I might not, so I didn’t want to have any expectations,” Brade said. “That was my mindset; I was like, ‘Whatever happens, happens. In the preseason I played the best I could’ve played.’ So I left everything out there, and I was totally fine with that. So not knowing what the future had for me I went into next practice happy just to get the opportunity and show myself and came out on the other side.”

As momentous as making the team as an undrafted free agent was, Brade knows this is still just the beginning of his journey as a professional athlete. He is grateful for the lessons he has already learned from his veteran teammates and the opportunity to continue playing and developing alongside them. The 22-year-old believes his inspiring story is one of sacrifice, perseverance, unwavering belief in oneself and the importance of having a hard work ethic because all of those are needed to reach great heights.

“Sometimes you have to give up something to get another thing,” Brade said. “If you want to get here, and this is your dream, then put everything towards it. I feel like that’s what I did, and every day, I try to tell people that and show people that, especially that are at Maryland – my old teammates – or even at River Hill [High School] where I’m from.”

“I feel like it shows them that dreams can come true, but I think that also shows them that you have to put the work in,” Brade said. “You can’t dodge it or just hope and pray for it to happen and not put any work towards it – you have to try your hardest. And whatever happens, does happen, but I feel like I’ve never seen someone try their absolute hardest at something and not be able to accomplish it. That’s what I did.”